Professional Development Guide 2013: Don't Rest On Your Laurels

What makes a nonprofit successful? More often than not, it's a strong leadership team that is willing to make the tough decisions. This makes it easy for managers to rest on their laurels but, if they are not careful, that one-time strength can quickly disappear.

The NonProfit Times' Professional Development Guide, which appears in the newly released June 1 issue, is a white pages for services that will help potential nonprofit leaders hone their skills. From nonprofit management degrees at leading universities to leadership seminars, organizations should consider all of these services for their employees so there are worthy successors when it comes time to pick a new CEO or executive director.

There are other things nonprofits can do to develop new leaders. In the Bridgespan Group's Plan A: How

Successful Nonprofits Develop Their Future Leaders, Kirk Kramer and Preeta Nayak detailed five steps that can be taken that will get your organization on the path to a brighter future. Those steps are:

• Engage Your Senior Leaders: If you are a CEO just launching your leadership development efforts, begin by telling your senior team that it is important that they develop as individuals and that you’ll help each of them to do so.
• Understand Your Future Needs: Gather your senior team for a once-a-year offsite meeting to discuss where your organization is going and the potential of their direct reports to move into more senior roles.
• Develop Your Future Leaders: Meet twice a year with each of your direct reports to discuss their progress against their leadership development goals.
• Hire Externally to Fill Gaps:Identify the areas where you will likely need to hire externally to meet your future needs and those where you should aim to build capacity from within.
• Monitor and Improve Your Practices: Set targets for accomplishing the work of the previous items on this list. Next, report on your organization’s progress against those targets to your senior team and the board. Finally, determine leadership development priorities for the coming year.

Follow these steps and check out NPT's Professional Development Guide, and your nonprofit will be on the path to a more sustainable future.

The June 1 2013 Issue Of The NonProfit TImes

The June 1 issue of The NonProfit Times is now online and with it, all the reading material you will need to get through the summer heat. The new edition contains, among other stories, a look at how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is affecting part-time work and a list of the favorite websites of nonprofit tech experts.

Here's a closer look at the content you can expect to find in the magazine:

Special Report

• Nonprofit Techies Find Comfort In The Familiar: We talked to six tech experts in the nonprofit sector and asked them what their favorite web hangouts were. Answers ranged from PostSecret to Invisible People yet all these sites had one thing in common: They fit with their passions.

Articles

• ACS: Next 100 Years: Now that the American Cancer Society has hit its 100th anniversary, CEO John Seffrin looks back at what the organization has accomplished, and its goals for the future.
• Online Auctions Can Be The Cat's Meow: Go into any of the 2,700 Goodwill stores and you’ll find a lot of the same types of things: clothing, books, electronics, furniture. What you won’t find are pieces of artwork worth as much as a new car, all of which are being auctioned on the organization's website.
• Part-Time Staff Hours In Flux Due To Obamacare: Many organizations are having trouble with how to meet ACA's implications — including what will be required of the association under the shared mandate for employees’ health insurance.

Columns

• Transformational Gifts: Rick Christ, vice president of Amergent, argues in this column that all gifts need to be "transformational." What makes a gift have this trait? Turns out there are at least eight characteristics.
• To-Ga. To-Ga. To-Ga: Want to thank your volunteers for a job well done? Susan J. Ellis, president of Energize, Inc., has some ideas on how to throw a great party for them.

What Can The Nonprofit Salary And Benefits Report Do For You?

Now that the 2013 Nonprofit Salary and Benefits Survey has begun, you are probably asking yourself: "What's in it for me? What do I get for my time?" A large cash prize might not be heading your way for completing the Survey but you will get something even more valuable: Peace of mind for your nonprofit.

Our annual Salary and Benefits Reports are born out of these surveys and they provide important financial information for all nonprofits. Among the things these reports will help you do are:

• Avoid trouble with the IRS by being able to check YES on your Form 990 regarding salaries for your chief executive and key employees set using comparability data for similar positions.
• Learn about 94 employee benefits — going way beyond dental plans and summer hours.
• Get data by nonprofit field, budget size, number of employees, and region throughout the U.S.
• Attract and retain the best employees by knowing how to offer fair and competitive compensation.

In addition to these benefits, participants also receive a FREE executive summary of the Survey, with full salary data for all positions, and will be entered to win an iPod Nano if your survey is completed by July 31! All of that for just an hour of your time.* So what are you waiting for? Start your 2013 Salary and Benefits Survey today!

 *Good news – this year’s survey is streamlined and even easier to complete! And if you’ve participated in past years, you can use your existing data as a jumpstart and just change any data that is different.

NPT Takes Home Top Awards In Better Journalism Contest

The Society of Professional Journalists has released the results of its annual Better Journalism Contest, and The NonProfit Times is proud to have been honored with eight top awards.

Sweeping the entire category for Magazine – Opinion, NPT landed first, second, and third place prizes for in-the-moment editorials on crippling attitudes toward poverty, the federal government’s dangerous attempt to establish a fundraising arm, and the Planned Parenthood scandal that rocked the Susan G. Komen organization.

Another first place win came in the Online – State or Regional News category for NPT’s comprehensive “The Recovery Begins from Jersey Girl Sandy” posted on October 31, capturing the raw response to the ongoing crisis in the state.

Other wins include:

• Second place for Magazine – Business Reporting
• Second and third place prizes for Magazine – Investigative Reporting
• Second place for Magazine – Reporting

Featured Nonprofit Job: Fundraising and Sponsorship Major Donor Gifts Manager

Looking for a new nonprofit job? The NPT Jobs Career Center has a new featured job that is perfect for experienced fundraisers. Interested? Read on for more details.

Odell, Simms, & Lynch in Tysons Corner, Va., is looking to hire a Fundraising and Sponsorship Major Donor Gifts Manager to to work in their Fundraising & Sponsorship (F&S) team. The position entails working with a wide spectrum of national and local Non Profits to fundraise on their behalf for capital campaigns, programs, and general operating expenses.  The Account Manager will work closely with other members of the F&S team to service multiple clients.

Other major responsibilities include:

• Cultivate and solicit high net worth individuals, foundations, leadership at Fortune 500 companies, and c-suite executives.
• Develop and manage creative fundraising strategy collaboratively with nonprofit clients.
• Write and edit customized letters, proposals, fact sheets, presentations, and additional marketing materials.
• Collaborate with nonprofit clients, development and support staff, and board of directors.

All interested applicants should head to our career center to learn more about this job, including the necessary qualifications and application instructions.

5 "Murphy's Law" Scenarios For Your Special Event

Murphy's Law dictates that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Veteran special event planners swear by this rule, which is why they are always prepared for the worst possible scenario for their events. Paranoid? Maybe, but you can't argue they aren't being careful enough.

Special events inherently have an element of risk involved, explained Organic Events Founder Marika Holmgren in “Nonprofit Management 101.” While she wrote that there is no foolproof way to predict what issues will arise, that doesn't mean planners shouldn't prepare for every single scenario possible.

Holmgren identified five of the most impactful worst-case scenarios and suggested reviewing these and others to identify what needs to be done in each case and how to reduce the risk and liability of the organization:

• Event income or registration does not meet your goals, financial or otherwise;
• Natural disasters (hurricane, earthquake, etc.);
• Hotel strikes and boycotts;
• A key team member or event planner leaves the project; or,
• A keynote speakers falls through.

Ex-Nonprofit Director Sentenced

The ex-director of a nonprofit in Sanford, Maine was sentenced Tuesday to 2 1/2 years in prison for stealing more than $900,000 from the organization over six years. He was also ordered to pay $1.35 million in restitution and will report to prison on June 18.

According to a report in the Portland Press Herald, Thomas Nelson embezzled the money from York County Community Action (YCCA) from 2004 until his resignation in 2010. The organization provides services for low-income women and children.

Nelson's attorney, Jeffrey Silverstein, said that his client stole the money to fuel his gambling addiction, a habit he has since stopped. Nelson apologized for his actions in court, saying he let down YCCA.

"They trusted me, treated me well and I let them down."

Nelson transferred the money he stole from YCCA to a consulting firm outside Maine that returned part of the money in cash or payments toward his personal finances, according to court records. He continued to work for other nonprofits after he left YCCA in 2010, working as an executive director for Rockingham County Community Action in New Hampshire until, when faced with charges of embezzlement, he pleaded guilty in 2012.

The U.S. Attorney's Office recommended a reduced prison sentence for Nelson since he cooperated fully with investigators. Judge Nancy Torresen accepted this recommendation for this reason and because she wanted Nelson to return to the workforce quickly so he could repay his debt.

"From my point of view, you stole money from people who could least afford to lose it," Torresen told Nelson. "I consider this crime shameful."

In a written statement, Barbara Crider, YCCA's current executive director, thanked the U.S. Attorney's Office for their efforts and said that no program funds were taken as a result of Nelson's actions, and that services were not interrupted. The organization has also recovered a significant amount of the lost funds from its insurance bond.

You can read the full story in the Portland Press Herald.

Can You Fire A Volunteer?

Everyone knows a nonprofit can fire an employee for not doing a good job, but is it possible to fire a volunteer? According to Susan J. Ellis, a consultant specializing in volunteerism and a frequent contributor to The NonProfit Times, it is entirely appropriate given the right circumstances.

There is a belief among some nonprofit managers that they just can't fire a volunteer. According to Ellis, this stems from three mistaken attitudes:

• Thinking that the threat of punishment is the best way of getting good work;
• Thinking that available punishment guarantees prevention of unwanted behavior; and,
• Failure to understand why volunteers work without salary.

While it is appropriate to fire an under-performing volunteer, it should not be the first option. Ellis recommended trying these positive steps before resorting to discipline or dismissal:

• Careful screening of volunteers when they apply is essential, as it would be for employees. This includes clarification of expectations, on both sides, even if this means writing a letter spelling out the purpose of the volunteer work, anticipated outcomes or products, lengths of commitment and other key mutual decisions.
• Both employees and volunteers deserve full instructions — training, on how to do their work the best way.
• Motivate through approval. Managing through rewards and recognition of work well done is always more effective.
• Finally, understand that it is possible to terminate a volunteer. This is actually not as difficult as many nonprofit managers think. Remember, the manager has a legal right to designate who will be an agent of the organization, paid or not.

Lehman Bros. Seek Bigger Payments From Nonprofits

A year after exiting bankruptcy, Lehman Brothers Holding Inc. is back and is demanding larger exit payments from a host of nonprofits.

Lehman Bros. is not a name that brings back fond memories for most people. The financial institution's bankruptcy in Sept. 2008 was one of the major causes of the financial collapse that ravaged the economy.

According to a report in Bloomberg, the managers of Lehman's estate feel they were shortchanged by some nonprofits that made exit payments on derivatives that crashed after the bank filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, forcing it to sell its assets.

One of these organizations is Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato, Calif., which paid Lehman $2 million in Oct. 2008 to cancel a contract with the bank. Lehman has now come back to the organization and demanded $12.1 million more in addition to $4.7 million in interest. These funds are more than half of what the nonprofit spent o Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other diseases last year according to its most recent financial statement.

Mary McEachron, Buck’s chief administrative officer and general counsel, declined to comment on the situation to Bloomberg, saying only that the matter has not yet been resolved.

One other organization targeted by Lehman Bros. is a 5,000-student liberal arts college in Boston called Simmons College. The school paid Lehman $5.5 million in Jan. 2009 to exit from three interest rate swaps. In its June 30, 2012 financial statement, Simmons stated it held back $800,000 of that payment for out-of-pocket expenses. This didn't set well with Lehman, which now wants to enter a settlement through mediation with the college.

Lehman exited the bankruptcy process in March 2012 and has since liquidated about $46.2 million in assets. The bank needs $65 million more to repay its creditors by 2016.

You can read the full story in Bloomberg.

May 15, 2013 Edition Of The NonProfit Times

The May 15, 2013 issue of The NonProfit Times is now online and hitting mailboxes across the country. Here's a peak at the content you can expect to find in the second issue of the month:

Articles

• Keeping Score With Capital Campaigns: The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra culminated a four-year capital campaign this past June, raising $35.8 million, some 12 percent more than its original $32 million goal, despite the worst economy since the Great Depression.
• Binders Full Of Fundraisers Causing A Diversity Stir: Veteran UK fundraiser Giles Pegram, CBE, caused a social media uproar when he tweeted “women are still not adequately engaged in the thinking in fundraising,” causing flashbacks to Mitt Romney's infamous "binders full of women" line.
• 10 Issues That Top The Activist List For 2013: a new report from Future 500 indicates that a series of issues will force corporations to partner with nonprofits to adapt to a changing environment.

Columns

• Donors And Their Wealth: Everyone’s looking for investment advice. Charities and donors are no different. Some of the nation’s largest nonprofits are complex businesses, generating income from donations but also via fundraising events, program service revenue or membership fees, as well as investment income.
• Now Casting: An actor who can play equally well Prospero, Willy Loman, and Felix Unger or Lady Macbeth, Amanda Wingfield, and Lady Bracknell, is highly valued by any theatre company. Likewise, grant writers who can flawlessly execute diverse roles bring real value to their nonprofits.

Nonprofit Galas Breaking Fundraising Records On West Coast

Nonprofit galas in the Bay Area are breaking all sorts of fundraising records this year, bringing hope that organizations could soon be returning to pre-recession fundraising levels.

A report in the San Francisco Business Times reveals that many San Francisco-based organizations are getting a big boost in revenue from their annual galas. For example, Meals on Wheels (MoW) raised almost $2.17 million for homebound seniors at its 26th annual Star Chefs and Vinters Gala in April. That amount was the most ever raised by the organization for that particular event. In total, it netted $300,000 more than last year's gala, as more than 1,000 guests showed up to sample a spread of food made by gourmet chefs.

MoW Executive Director Ashely McCumber told The Business Times that she believed the success of this year's gals stems from a couple of factors: Strong donor relationships and an increased confidence in the economy, as people are feeling more comfortable giving once again. He added that most of the money from the gala came from individuals while corporate donations remained the same. Around 200 businesses and individuals participated in the gala's live and silent auctions.

While Habitat for Humanity San Francisco has not yet had its annual gala, Executive Director Phillip Killbridge told The Business Times that he is confident it will also break fundraising records, especially after Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage wrote the nonprofit a $25,000 check.

Are your nonprofit galas and special events seeing similar results? Let us know in our comments section.

You can read the full story in the San Francisco Business Times.

NJ Nonprofit Director Charged With Embezzlement

The former director of human resources for a New Jersey nonprofit was charged Saturday with embezzling more than $100,000 from the organization.

According to a report on a Philadelphia CBS affiliate, prosecutors allege that Christopher English generated paychecks from previously terminated employees of the Arc Mercer -- an advocacy and resource group for the mentally disabled -- and deposited those checks into his personal checking account. He allegedly spent that money on items ranging from a new truck to a $30,000 travel trailer.

English faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Authorities say the alleged theft was discovered when the Arc's payroll company reported some discrepancies to the organization. The nonprofit was able to recover almost all of the funds that was taken in English's alleged embezzlement.

The Arc Mercer is located in Ewing, N.J., and has almost 350 employees and an annual budget of close to $17 million.

You can read the full story on CBS Philly's website.

Former Treasurer Faces Theft Charges

The former treasurer of a Tallahassee, Fl.-based nonprofit is being charged with stealing more than 90,000 from the organization.

According to a report on Tallahassee.com, Jamie Pitts was arrested Wednesday after investigators discovered she allegedly wrote checks to herself from the nonprofit for she worked, Child Advocates II, over two years. The organization obtains its donations from Guardian Ad Litem, a group that serves Florida's abused and neglected children.

Authorities allege that Pitts, who had sole access the nonprofit's account, deposited the 159 checks totaling more than $90,000 into her personal bank account. She allegedly represented the checks as expense reimbursements most of which she listed as "voided" when she presented financial statements to Child Advocates' board. The checks were reportedly written starting in August 2010 and ending on April 27, 2012.

Brad Sealey, chair of the board, first discovered the alleged theft in March when he discovered the organization's account had a negative balance. When he was able to gain access to the account by proving he was the chair of Child Advocates' board, he discovered Pitts' alleged actions.

In a sworn statement, Sealey said that the organization's bylaws state that any reimbursements must be approved by a resolution of the board, and that no such resolutions were ever made to reimburse Pitts.

Pitts faces charges of grand theft and organized scheme to defraud. You can read the full story on Tallahassee.com.

5 Ways To Keep In Touch With Monthly Giving Donors

Your work is done just because you got a donor to join your monthly giving program. Far from it; in fact, as fundraising consultant Pamela Grow explains, your work is just beginning.

Grow says that it's up to you as a fundraising professional to make sure your monthly donors are made to feel special. As a member of an exclusive club, these individuals are going to be expecting world-class treatment. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to keep in constant contact with them.

In her e-book, "The Lifetime Donor Attraction System," Grow shared five tips on how to keep in contact with your monthly donors:

• Don’t stop communicating. Keep sending emails, as well as offers to upgrade their monthly commitments. These donors are also excellent prospects for planned giving, having demonstrated dedication to your nonprofit.
• Send monthly donors special versions of your regular communications. Make sure they reference the donor’s membership in your monthly giving program.
• Give them special opportunities, such as events, guided tours and access to your organization’s executives. Make sure they know the opportunity is exclusive to monthly givers.
• Send special thank-yous. Think about including premiums in your thank-you correspondence with monthly donors.
• Don’t neglect your regular correspondence. Follow up if a monthly sustainer’s renewal lapses or if she suspends payments.

Debt Causes Chicago's Field Museum To Auction Off Collections

If you are hoping to see famous items such as paintings by 19th century artist George Caitlin at Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History, you will be out of luck. Citing massive debt bought on by the Great Recession, the museum has auctioned off these works and some of its other collections in order to stay afloat.

According to report on NPR, the museum saw its endowment take a huge hit after the stock market tanked both in 2002 and 2008. Combined with bonds issued in 2002 to add an undergrounds collection center and make other updates, the Field Museum found itself in massive debt. To make matters worse, an expected increase in attendance did not occur, causing the institution to miss its fundraising goals.

Even after various cost-cuttings and layoffs, Field Museum CEO Richard Larivere told NPR that the institution's budget is still $5 million in the red, and most of that budget is slated to pay off debt.

Larivere became CEO this year and arrived after the previous head had decided that the best course of financial action was to sell off some of its collections. The practice -- known as deaccessioning -- is common in the museum world though there are some generally accepted guidelines on how the funds from these sales are to be used. For example, University of Kansas' Biodiversity Institute states that institute will only deaccession collections to "establish order and purpose to the collection," among other reasons.

The Field Museum used the nearly $15 million in funds from their deaccessioning to pay off certain staff members and to purchase new artifacts, which Larivere said is within the accepted guidelines for the practice. He also said that the museum would continue to sell off collections if it needed more money to balance their budget.

Although deaccessioning is an accepted practice there is some concern that it could cause donors to think twice before donating treasured items to museums.

You can read the full story on NPR's website.

Two Men Charged In Alleged 9/11 Charity Scam

Two men have been indicted for allegedly operating a bogus 9/11 charity, New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa announced today.

Mark Niemczyk and Thomas Scalgione were indicted Friday on third-degree charges of conspiracy and theft by deception. The two men operated a pick-up truck from which they operated a charity that was supposed to raise money for the victims of the 9/11 attacks or related charities. The men allegedly sold t-shirts and collected donation at 9/11 events. The funds they raised -- in excess of $50,000 -- never made it to victims' families or 9/11 charities as promised, according to Chiesa.

“It’s a sad reality that in the wake of a devastating tragedy, when so many want to help, there are always parasites who view the tragedy and the generosity of others as nothing more than the opportunity and the means to turn a crooked profit for themselves,” said Chiesa.

The state alleges that Niemczyk and Scalgione, who registered their operation with the state, took all of their proceeds and deposited it into their personal bank accounts to pay for unrelated expenses. As a result of their alleged fraud, the two men were able to purchase the t-shirts they sold at a discounted rate by telling vendors that the proceeds from their sales would benefit victims' families. One vendor gave discounts totaling $3,312, and another gave discounts totaling $1,378.

Elie Honig, director of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, also alleges that the men told other lies in the name of donations. Niemczyk allegedly claimed that he was a Navy SEAL who did three tours of duty in Vietnam, and that he and Scalgione were father-and-son firefighters who were working at a firehouse near the World Trade Center on 9/11.

“Their conduct was outrageous, and we urge any victims who donated money or bought T-shirts from these con artists to contact us,” said Honig.

The charges against Niemczyk and Scaligione stem from an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice Financial & Computer Crimes Bureau. The criminal investigation began with a referral from the Division of Consumer Affairs, which in November secured a final consent judgment in a civil action, under which the men must pay a total of more than $200,000, representing disgorgement of donations and payment of civil penalties, attorneys’ fees and investigative costs. The judgment bars the men from ever working for any charitable organization in New Jersey should they be convicted.

You can read the full indictment on the state of New Jersey's website.

Idaho's First Giving Day Begins

The inaugural edition of Idaho Gives, a statewide online giving campaign run by the Idaho Nonprofit Center, began today, with more than 500 charities taking part in the event.

As reported by The Boise Weekly, there were already 1,000 donations by sunrise this morning, and donors have until 11:59 p.m. to continue giving. The five nonprofits with the most unique donors by the end of the day will receive onus grants of $3,000, $1,000, $500, $250, and $250 respectively.

All donations made on the Idaho Gives website are made to the Razoo Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization which permits donors to advise a regranting of their donations to other IRS recognized qualifying 501(c)(3). The Foundation will then regrant 97.1% of its contribution to the qualifying organization as advised by the donor, retaining 2.9% for Razoo Foundation’s expenses.

Participating nonprofits are divided into three categories based on their size: Large, medium, and small. Currently leading the "large" category is Idaho Humane Society Inc., which has 134 unique donors giving $5,952. Idaho Falls School District 91 Education Foundation Inc., rounds out the "medium" category with 59 unique donors giving $2,765. Finally, Girls on the Run-Idaho Inc., leads the "small" category with $1,325 in donations from 35 unique donors.

State online giving days have a long history of success for nonprofits. In a recent article on The NonProfit Times, it was reported that 800 nonprofits received over $1 million in donations from Arizona Gives Day, held on March 20.

You can read the full story in The Boise Weekly.

The May 1 2013 Edition Of The NonProfit Times

The May 1, 2013 edition of The NonProfit Times is jam-packed with big news in the sector. Current events such as the Boston Marathon bombings and the Boy Scouts' decision on allowing gay members are covered, in addition to our special report on professional development.

Here's a sneak peak at the featured articles of the new issue:

Special Report

• Making The Grade: Can Anyone Get Into Nonprofit Education Programs?: What’s it take to get into nonprofit education programs? Students heading into next year’s master’s program at Indiana had an average college grade point average of 3.45 and an average GRE score of 1,181 (549 verbal and 632 quantitative).

Articles

• NPT Survey: CFOs Get Comfortable With Thinner Margins: This exclusive survey conducted by The NonProfit Times asked a number of questions of nonprofit financial executives. They were asked questions regarding their organizations’ actual situation and then perceptions regarding the economy and general operations.
• Events Planning Gets Second Look After Boston Attack: Many organizations are rethinking the risk management elements of large, outdoor events after the bombings that killed three and injured hundreds more at the Boston Marathon.
• Scouts' Survey Shows Members Split About Stand On Gays: As the Boy Scouts of America prepare to vote on whether to allow gay members, a survey conducted by the organization shows that many of its existing members are split on the topic.

Columns

• No Surprises: Volunteers are at the heart of most nonprofits, but your nonprofit’s heart might beat a dangerous rhythm without volunteer risk management.
• What Time Are You?: In the professional world, there is no more powerful determinant of individual style, effectiveness, or influence than one’s orientation to time.

The articles above are just a sampling of the content included in the May 1 issue. If you are not already a subscriber, head to our online store to purchase a subscription so you can read the full issue, which includes an exclusive interview with former Scoutmaster James Dale.

10 Fundraising Rules For Managers

Nonprofit managers often have to wear multiple hats if their organization's mission is to succeed. One of those roles requires them to chip in on the fundraising side of the operation.

The word "fundraising" can make any executive start to sweat, but it doesn't have to be that way. Susan Black of Allene Professional Fundraising shares these 10 rules in her white paper, “Ten Rules to fundraise By.”

• People give to people. A gift officer needs to win a donor’s trust so he or she knows the donation is in good hands.
• Know your story, then articulate it. It’s the gift officer’s job to translate the organization’s impact into relatable, digestible bits of information.
• Have a plan. Your organization needs both a strategic and a fundraising plan.
• Get out of the office. Connect with donors face-to-face.
• Identify, cultivate, ask and than, then do it again. Your work doesn’t stop with the first gift; turn your donors into advocates for your organization and they’ll be more valuable, both monetarily and otherwise.
• Remember, you are brilliant. Recognize how important your work is, and have confidence that you can get the job done.
• Your only job with volunteers is to make them successful. Volunteers want to feel useful, be managed, feel appreciated, have an impact and share your success. Your volunteer management plan must take their needs into account.
• If it’s not in the database, it didn’t happen. Recordkeeping is of vital importance.
• It’s not about you. It’s about the donor. Practice donor-centered fundraising, and always be aware of the donor experience.
• Measure it. Start with the end in mind, consider all the costs, and create success metrics before you have to use them, not after.

Chicago Proposes Water Rates Compromise For Nonprofits

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is proposing a compromise for nonprofits that only recently found out they would be losing their exemption from water rates. The announcement came after meetings with leaders from nonprofits and select aldermen.

One of Mayor Emanuel's central promises of his election campaign was to end the practice of supplying free water to the many nonprofits in Chicago in order to help the city's budget. According to a report on DNAinfo.com Chicago, the Mayor had said the practice cost the city $20 million per year.

The water policy was changed as promised, but quickly met resistance from nonprofits, which claimed the rates were negatively affecting their ability to operate. While remaining firm on his pledge that he would not "give away" tax payer's money, Emanuel signaled last year that he would at least "study" a proposal by his aid Bob Fioretti, that would implement a sliding scale for rates based on an organization's assets.

Today's announcement indicates that he agreed with that plan, as the Mayor's compromise shares some of the features of Fioretti's plan. Under the compromise, nonprofits with overall assets under $1 million would not have to pay water fees. Those valued at between $1 million and $10 million, however, would still pay the feed but would get a 60 percent exemption. Those between $10 million and $250 million would get a 25 percent exemption.

Finally, those valued at more than $250 million would receive no additional exemption, although a public-museum exemption would remain at 20 percent regardless of asset level.

You can read the full story on DNAinfo's website.